I nodded, not accepting any other option. I studied him for a second, then tilted my head to the side and asked, “Can you take me to Holland’s?”
He nodded slowly, his expression softening. “Yeah.” He kept his voice calm. “Of course I can.”
I didn’t want to go back to the house right now. It felt like I could only be there to sleep, but even that had been hard last night. I just wanted to keep my mind away from everything, and seeing Holland would help. Now that she wouldn’t have to handle any of my issues, I allowed myself to let her close again.
“Thank you.”
He reached across the table and took my hand, his fingers lacing through mine. “Don’t,” he said, giving me a serious look. I knew what he meant, and I just nodded in acceptance.
Callan paid the bill and then carried the bags of leftovers back to the car. He didn’t talk much on the drive. He just kept one hand on the wheel and the other relaxed on his thigh, and every so often he glanced over, checking on me without turningit into a conversation I didn’t want to have. I was grateful for the silence and the fact that he didn’t try to fill it with unnecessary and forced talk.
When we pulled up to Holland’s building, he parked in front and shut off the engine. We both got out and walked into the building. I rang the bell at her door, and Holland practically yanked it open before the sound finished. She wrapped her arms around me and held me tight for a moment, and I hugged her back, leaning into her comforting embrace.
“How are you, girly?” she asked as she pulled back slightly.
“Better,” I replied, pressing my lips together. She had no idea what happened last night after she left, but I would tell her once I was ready to talk about it.
She smiled at me and then looked at Callan, greeting him before stepping aside to let us in. The door didn’t shut behind us, and Callan stepped around me with his gaze fixed on Holland’s couch. Rocco was sprawled across it with one arm over his eyes and wearing nothing but a pair of briefs.
“Rocco, get dressed,” Callan ordered.
He lifted his head and grinned at us. “Morning.”
“Come on, get dressed,” he said again. “Let’s give them some space.”
Rocco groaned but pushed himself up, mumbling something under his breath as he stumbled to put his clothes on. While he did, Callan turned to me, brushing his thumb over my wrist for a quick moment. “I’ll be back later. I’m going to take care of the mess in the kitchen,” he said. “Call me if you need anything.”
I nodded once, giving him my most sincere smile. “Thank you.”
He pressed a kiss to my temple, then urged Rocco to head out. He did, but not before grabbing Holland’s face with bothhands and kissing her with his tongue pushed deep down her throat. Openly and without a single ounce of shame.
Callan cleared his throat, and when Rocco broke the kiss, he smirked at Holland and whispered something to her.
She rolled her eyes, then pushed him away from her. “We’re having a girls’ day. Don’t come back before it’s dark. Either of you.”
I liked that. Even if I would miss Callan, the idea of spending a day alone with Holland sounded nice.
She turned to me once the door clicked shut, and she smiled gently, reaching out to rub my arm. “Sit, I’m just going to make coffee. Do you want one?”
“No, thank you,” I replied, smiling back at her. I went over to the couch and stopped, unsure if I wanted to sit down where they had sex just hours before.
“Don’t worry,” Holland said, laughing a little. “We didn’t do it there.”
I looked over at her and pursed my lips.
“What, you don’t believe me?” She grinned and pointed toward her bedroom. “We did it over there. On the bed, in every possible position. We just hung out on the couch after taking a shower. The couch is clean. I promise.”
I studied the couch again, then decided to trust her before I sat down. I pulled my knees under me, getting as comfortable as possible. Holland followed with a cup of steaming coffee, sitting down right beside me. She was close enough that our shoulders touched, but I didn’t mind it one bit.
She watched me without saying a word, just letting me settle and choose when to speak. I wanted to tell her about last night, about what went down after she and Rocco had left in the morning, thinking everything was fine again. But I decided against it, wanting to keep the mood light.
“You and Rocco…” I started, picking at the fabric of my jeans. “Are you two still just sleeping together?”
“Oh, yeah. Totally.” She lifted the cup to her lips and took a careful sip. “You know I can’t be tied down. I’m in my prime.”
I laughed softly. “I can tell.”
“Isn’t it just so amusing that we’re both fucking porn stars, who also happen to be best friends?”
